PRESS RELEASE

Izmir, Turkey, Investment Promotion Mission to Japan
October 20 – 23, 2015

Izmir is Turkey’s 3nd largest city in terms of population and industrial activity, after Istanbul and Ankara, and is a key area attracting new investments from all over the world, including Japan. As Japanese corporations continue to target investments in Turkey, Izmir offers an alternative destination to Istanbul, which has recently started overcrowding. The representatives of the Izmir Development Agency (IZKA), and the Aegean Free Zone (ESBAS), which operates within Izmir, will be visiting Tokyo and Osaka, Japan from October 20 – 23, to hold promotional seminars in each city, and to meet with potential Japanese partners.

Key messages

1. Izmir is an attractive location for Japanese investments, after Istanbul, offering land availability at reasonable cost, good business infrastructure, connectivity, natural beauty, and quality of life.
2. Foreign investment to Izmir from US, European and Japanese companies has been on the rise, including investments by several major Japanese corporations, such as Kansai Paint, Denso, Pigeon, Sunchemical, JTI etc.
3. Sectors such as manufacturing, services, agri-food, information and communication technology (ICT), and healthcare are at the forefront in Izmir.
4. ESBAS, a free zone and industrial park, operating since 1990, is considered to be the most modern industrial park in Turkey and offers opportunities to potential investors from Japan, and recently welcomed its first Japanese investor.

About IZKA   http://www.izka.org.tr/en/
IZKA, the “Izmir Development Agency”, is a public institution working closely with foreign investors to facilitate their business ventures in the Izmir area as a one stop shop. IZKA was recently given the “Best to Invest Top Agency Award” in the Middle East and Africa by Conway, Inc., a magazine which reaches 45,000 corporate subscribers. Since its establishment, IZKA helped 34 foreign direct investments to be realized in Izmir and EUR 162 million total amount of investment has been attracted into the city, with 2,000 new jobs created.

About ESBAS   http://www.esbas.com.tr/index.aspx
ESBAS, the “Aegean Free Zone” is Turkey’s #1 Export Processing Zone located in Izmir, Turkey at the crossroads of the European Union and the burgeoning economies of Central Asia and the Middle East. The Aegean Free Zone is home to investors such as Hugo Boss, Fokker Elmo, Kale Pratt & Whitney, PFW, Gates, Delphi Packard and Cummins Inc., and recently Pigeon Corporation of Japan (under The Lansinoh Company, which is a subsidiary of Pigeon Corporation of Japan), and generates more than USD 4.3 billion annually in manufacturing and trade.

About Izmir, Turkey Investment Seminar on October 21, 2015 (Tokyo)
The seminar will be organized by UNIDO ITPO Tokyo and Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East (JCCME), and will be held at the UN University HQs starting at 13:00 on October 21 (Wed.) and introduce the business opportunities in the Izmir region. The seminar will include presentations about Izmir by Ms. Sedef Ozer, representative of IZKA, and also by Mr. Faruk Guler, CEO of the Aegean Free Zone. These will be followed by a presentation from Pigeon Corporation, Mr. Norimasa Kitazawa, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, who will speak about their new investment in Izmir. (A seminar in Osaka will be held on 23 October (Fri) at the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI)).

About UNIDO ITPO Tokyo   https://itpo-tokyo.unido.org
UNIDO is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. It was established in 1966 and is headquartered in Vienna. ITPO Tokyo is the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of UNIDO in Japan. It was established in 1981 and promotes Japanese foreign direct investment to developing and emerging countries.

Contact:
Naoko TOCHIBAYASHI (Ms.), Media Consultant   n.tochibayashi@unido.org   
UNIDO INVESTMENT AND TECHNOLOGY PROMOTION OFFICE, TOKYO (UNIDO ITPO Tokyo)
UNU HQs Bldg. 8F, 5-53-70, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, JAPAN
Phone: 03-6433-5520 Fax: 03-6433-5530

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